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Track Newbie

AngstyPotato

New member
So I've never done a track day but I'm looking to go real soon.

Anything I should know / need?
 

red_stapler

Ready to race!
The basics:
Sunscreen
Cooler w/ water & lunch
Shade (hat, umbrella)
Close-toed shoes
Long pants
Long sleeve shirt*
Helmet*
Bleed brakes / flush brake fluid if old

* - You'll want to check with your trackday group about specifics here
 

Jcarollo765

Ready to race!

George11

Ready to race!
Don't forget a chair and torque wrench to retighten your lugs.

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk
 

darkGTI

Ready to race!
Make sure your pads have more than half way thick, also make sure your tire pressures are good, and that tires don't rub anywhere if you're not running oem setup.
 

MrFancypants

Autocross Champion
If this is your first track event focus entirely on safety items. Do not concern yourself with speed, focus on learning (from your instructor) how to safely operate your vehicle on a track. To prepare for following track events work on changing things that'll allow your car to deal with heat better (tires, brakes, etc).

For a first track day I think these things are critical:

1. inspect your brake lines, if your 2011 has the originals you may want to replace them with new OEM lines
2. flush brake fluid. Fresh OEM brake fluid will be sufficient.
3. check pads, if there's any question as to how much life they have get new ones.
4. inspect rotors for micro-fractures or any cracking, replace if necessary.
5. test drive, if rotors are "warped", as in there's pulsing through the peddle that is not ABS engagement, get the rotors turned (if within spec, I prefer brand new to turning) or replace them
6. inspect tires, replace as necessary.

I'm a huge fan of speed bleeders on the brakes. These will let you take a pump or two of fluid out of each caliper in between sessions as necessary or at the end of the day by yourself and with the wheels on.

Throughout the day perform a basic visual inspection after each session; oil, coolant, brake fluid, tire condition & air pressure. Have a close look at each sidewall and if you feel that the tire is rolling over too far, add air pressure. If you're running even a basic sport tire like a Bridgestone RE760 the sidewalls should be stiff enough that your "hot" pressures should be fun at somewhere under 40 PSI, but if you're running all seasons you may need to add more to keep it from rolling over.
 
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